


Pareidolia

by aquileaofthelonelymountain



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fear of Flying, Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, bagginshield summer adventure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 13:36:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15389883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquileaofthelonelymountain/pseuds/aquileaofthelonelymountain
Summary: Pareidolia = a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus (usually an image or a sound) by perceiving a familiar pattern where none exists; like images of objects in cloud formations“You make this sound worse than it is.”“Oh, am I?” Bilbo huffed. “Goodness, Thorin!” He glared at him. “We could’ve gone somewhere else for holiday, without the need of going by plane. Why didn’t you tell me?”





	Pareidolia

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my contribution to the Bagginshield Summer Adventure - my keyword was "fear of flying". I was travelling by plane a short while ago, and while looking out of the window I got some inspiration ... I hope you enjoy it ^-^

The loudspeaker crackled and crunched, and the pilot’s voice was almost incomprehensible. Something about having to wait for another ten minutes before take-off since another plan would start first.

Bilbo hummed to himself as he looked out of the plane’s window. Right now he didn’t see much but the grey concrete of the runway, but he would have a wonderful look once they would be in the air; not even the wings would obstruct it.

He reached for the hand on the armrest on his left side and gave it a squeeze. “I’m so excited, Thorin!”

He received a soft chuckle as answer. “I can see.” There was something about this sound, however, that had Bilbo turn away from the window. He couldn’t exactly name it – maybe it was a hint of tightness in the deep voice he knew so well, or another nuance that told him that something wasn’t right. Whatever it was, it made him put his excitement aside for a moment.

At a first glance, everything seemed perfectly normal. Perfect indeed, Bilbo thought with a smile. Thorin looked very handsome in jeans and a casual chequered shirt, and with his hair tamed into a braid. But as soon as he looked closer, he noticed that his posture was a tad to upright, a little too stiff. And was his jaw set as well?

“Are you alright, Thorin?”

“I am”, he promised. Knowing that Bilbo wouldn’t be satisfied with such an answer and would inquire further, he added: “I’m not looking forward to take-off, that’s all.”

“That’s all?”, Bilbo repeated perplexedly. “Thorin, are you trying to hide from me that you … that you are afraid of flying?”

“You make this sound worse than it is.”

“Oh, am I?” Bilbo huffed. “Yeah, I’m possibly exaggerating. Goodness, Thorin!” He glared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” The lady in the row in front of them turned back with a scowl, so Bilbo lowered his voice before he continued. “We could’ve gone somewhere else for holiday, without the need of going by plane. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Thorin stayed silent for a moment; Bilbo saw the muscles in his neck working. “Your eyes”, he eventually said. It was barely more than a whisper, and Bilbo had to lean closer to understand him. “The first time we talked about a possible holiday at the sea-side, you looked so incredibly happy. Your eyes were shining, and your smile … I couldn’t have said no, even if I had wanted to.”

“Oh Thorin.” Bilbo rested his head against his shoulder. “My wonderful, foolish Thorin. This isn’t about where we go, you know? I’d be happy everywhere as long as I’m with you.” He sighed. “Actually, I’m the fool. I should have noticed long ago that you weren’t too fond of the idea of going by plane. But here we are, a few minutes before take-off.” He reached for Thorin’s hand and intertwined their fingers so that their delicate golden rings brushed against each other. “I guess I’m not making a very splendid figure on my first day as your husband.”

“Hush, darling.” Thorin tilted his head to nuzzle Bilbo’s curls. “You’re all I could ever dream of.”

“Still, I should have noticed.” Bilbo interrupted himself as Thorin chuckled, the brush of air pleasant against his forehead.

“I think it’s quite convenient that I’m able to hide a thing or two from you. Otherwise I would never be able to surprise you with a gift for your birthday, or flowers when I come home to you in the evening …”

Squeezing Thorin’s hand, Bilbo nestled closer to him. “Does it sometimes frighten you?”, he asked quietly. “The idea of spending the rest of your life with me?”

Thorin didn’t answer at once, and Bilbo loved him for taking his time instead of blurting out promises without thinking about them.

“I used to”, he eventually admitted. “There is something frightening about that thought. To stay together with somebody for the rest of your whole life … But that was before I knew you. Since I know that it is you, I’m not afraid anymore.” He raised their intertwined hands to breathe a kiss on the knuckles. “I love you, Bilbo.”

“And I love you, Thorin.”

The loudspeaker crackled again as they kissed, and a light jerk went through the plane as it began to move. Bilbo could feel Thorin tensing, and he kept distracting him for some moments longer with another kiss. He kept his hand intertwined with Thorin’s as the plane sped up and they were pressed back into their seats. His beloved was quite good at pretending that nothing could unsettle him, but Bilbo knew him well enough to notice the little signs of his distress, like his frown or the way his jaw was set.

“Think of our honeymoon”, he whispered. “Two wonderful weeks, and it’s just the two of us.” Thorin seemed to grip his hand a little harder at that remark, and Bilbo chuckled. “A little cottage at the beach … I’m so looking forward to it.” His stomach did a leap as the plane finally took off, but the sensation could also be caused by his giddiness.

They had browsed through some catalogues and special offers for honeymooners. Most of them had shown couples in elegant evening attire that smiled at each other above the rims of their crystal wineglasses, with lit candles and equally elegant waiters in the background. Their own honeymoon wouldn’t be that fancy, and Bilbo was glad for it. Instead of staying in some luxurious five-star-hotel, they would be alone in their little cottage and would look after themselves. It would be lazy mornings in bed, swimming in their own remote bay, bicycle trips into the nearby village, and homemade dinners on their veranda. He could hardly await it.

The plane was still surging upwards, and Bilbo gave Thorin a little nudge. “Look, husband”, he said fondly. “Take a look out of the window.”

Trusting his words, Thorin leaned forward. In that moment, the world outside turned white as they dove into the clouds. Wafts of mist surrounded the plane, quickly turning into thick veils. The plane still shot upwards, and suddenly the clouds were gone. Bilbo smiled as Thorin uttered a breathless “wow” and leaned further forward to have a better look. They seemed to have entered another world, one with a bright blue sky and a soft white ground.

“Aren’t the clouds fascinating?”, Bilbo whispered. “They look like gentle hills. As if one could walk on them …”

“But over there”, Thorin replied in the same hushed voice as if he was afraid he would break some enchantment by speaking too loud. “Those clouds look completely different, almost like foam on the beach.” Bilbo knew without looking that Thorin was smiling when he added: “What a wonderful sight.”

They kept gazing out of the window for a while before Thorin spoke again. “I’ve only been on a plane once, and back then it was dark all the time. I couldn’t see anything. It was on the way from Erebor.”

Bilbo turned to face him with immediate concern. Thorin didn’t talk about his former home very often, and Bilbo, worried that it might grieve him, never pushed him.

But now Thorin spoke freely in a quiet voice. “It was only me and Frerin and Dís. None of us knew what would expect us once the plane landed, if we would find a new home there, or if we would be treated as exiles … I was staring out of the window for such a long time, desperately hoping for a quick glance at those foreign country before we would find ourselves in the midst of it.” Noticing the concerned frown between Bilbo’s brows, he bent forward to press a kiss on it. “I could have never imagined that I would find my other half there.”

“Charmer”, Bilbo said fondly. He noticed a stewardess moving through the aisle and gave her a sign. She approached them with a friendly smile, and he ordered two glasses of champagne.

Thorin raised an eyebrow at that, but smiled. “Wasn’t there enough champagne during our wedding yesterday?”

“What?” Bilbo grinned back at him. Both of them knew, of course, that the alcohol would help to ease Thorin’s nerves a little, but pretended otherwise. “Am I not allowed to spoil my husband?”

“Well, I could get used to it …”

Bilbo snatched a kiss from him. “You better do!”

 

***

 

About two hours later, the plane came to a stop after a thankfully smooth landing. Approaching the airport had been exciting; Bilbo had been able to catch glimpses of the sea already. Even Thorin, despite having grown quiet again, had looked out of the window with interest. He was still a bit pale around the tip of his nose after the landing, but then he leaned to Bilbo and whispered into his ear: “I’m not looking forward to the next take-off and landing … but I’m really looking forward to gaze at the clouds with you again.”


End file.
